Developing Measurable Strategic Goals

A governing board is responsible for the organization’s strategic planning process, including measurable strategic goals. Great goals are SMART goals. They are specific, measurable, achievable, reach requiring, and time-bound. Three common reasons that boards don’t develop measurable strategic goals are that the task requires hard mental work, board members often don’t know [...]

Executive Director Ineffectiveness is a Board Problem

So many times in the past month board members have told me that there are no problems with their board. Then they proceed to tell me that the biggest problem in the organization is that the Executive Director is not moving the organization froward or achieving the organization’s goals. My immediate thoughts are [...]

Encouraging an Engaged Workplace Culture

Yesterday, when I shared with a former employee of a large corporation that I am a governance consultant, she had an immediate heartfelt response. “Boards don’t care about employees”, she declared. “They make decisions without any regard to how they will impact the employees’ work life.” Unfortunately that may be a common [...]

Monitoring Financial Results

The board’s responsibility to protect the interests of the organization’s owners includes monitoring financial performance. Many boards request financial reports on a monthly basis. Others might review finances every quarter. Some CEOs provide the board with a sparse one-page financial report that provides inadequate information. Others compile an inch thick package [...]

Budget Approval

In many organizations the board approves the detailed line-item budget for the coming year, often engaging in exhausting discussion about small differences in preference. There are other approaches to board leadership and oversight of the organization’s finances that position the board to focus on the big picture and empower staff to manage the details.
A [...]

Evaluation – A Leadership Best Practice

Many leaders know about evaluation, such as staff performance reviews, post-project debriefs, and feedback to volunteers. However, remarkably fewer have the skills and commitment to carry out regular evaluations.
Too often the first formal performance review given to industry association senior staff is their pink slip. Many senior executives sense when the board is [...]

Set and Communicate the Desired End Result – Always

You have probably heard of Stephen Covey’s second habit “Begin with the end in mind”. Yet, you may be one of the majority who do not always practice this maxim. Its importance has been impressed on me from all sides this week.
The professional development program in which I participated this week started with [...]